TUBA

The Tuba is the largest brass instrument although it comes in different sizes and keys, the most common of which is in B flat.
Unlike the trumpet and trombone, but like the cornet, it has a conical bore so consists of a gradually widening tube of brass folded round on itself to save space. You hold the tuba in front of you on your lap with the mouthpiece to your lips and the bell pointing upwards. Your right hand operates the valves, while the left supports the instrument.

The sound comes out of the flared bell, and is made by blowing a "raspberry" with your lips into the cup-shaped mouthpiece.

You can make a number of different notes by varying the tension of your lips and pressing different combinations of 3 different valves which divert the air through little extra lengths of tubing.

It is a non-transposing instrument with many types, the most common of which is the double B-flat, whose sheet music is written in the bass clef.

The tuba is important to orchestras, wind bands and brass bands, and sometimes appears in traditional jazz bands.